HENRY de Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore were the headline acts on day one of the inaugural Navan Racing Festival, capturing the two feature events with a couple of yard favourites.

Bob Olinger (SP 15/8) was turned over in last year’s Grade 2 Railway Bar Lismullen Hurdle after travelling strongly and trading as short as 1/33 in the in-running markets, but he made amends in the same race this time around - picking up too sharply for 5/4 favourite Zanahiyr.

It had looked as though the Gordon Elliott-trained runner-up had an edge over the smooth-travelling winner soon after the final flight, but Robcour’s triple Grade 1 winner powered away on the run-in to score by a length.

This result clearly meant the world to connections, registering a first victory with Bob Olinger since he capitalised on Galopin Des Champs’ dramatic final-fence departure in the 2022 Turners Novices’ Chase. “I’m delighted because everyone knows where we hold him - he’s one of the best horses I’ve ever trained,” said de Bromhead.

“Last year was tough, but it’s lovely to see him back. He was brilliant and Rachael gave him a brilliant ride. There are a lot of people to thank but I have to mention Robert Power and Brian [Acheson].

Power praise

“We stopped with him last January and Robbie has done a lot of work with him during the summer and into this season. He came down to us looking amazing. There are a lot of people to thank, the team at home, but Robbie stands out for all the work he’s done with him.

“I thought we were in trouble there today, obviously Zanahiyr picked up and we were a bit slow at the last. He’s a real good horse and it’s nice to see him hopefully starting to come back.”

The winning trainer wouldn’t discuss plans but said of the eight-year-old’s distance preference: “If you saw him at home, I don’t think any trip is a problem when he’s right - he has so much pace.”

Guinness in full flow

It was a much less dramatic watch for connections in the Grade 2 Bar One Racing Fortria Chase as Captain Guinness produced a silky performance to see off Riviere D’etel by seven lengths.

A winner of this race 12 months ago before finishing second in three Grade 1s behind Blue Lord, Energumene (in the Champion Chase at Cheltenham) and Jonbon, Declan Landy’s eight-year-old jumped and travelled with real purpose on his way to setting up a possible Tingle Creek bid at Sandown on December 9th. He was trimmed from as big as 10/1 to 5/1 for that top-level contest.

De Bromhead said: “I thought that was one of his best performances that I’ve seen for a while.

“I loved the way he picked up to the line, he was brilliant - as was Rachael.

“At every fence he went in four behind and landed two behind, he was so good. There was one halfway down the back that he winged and I don’t think that Rachael even expected it. I entered him in the Tingle Creek so I’ll speak to Declan and see.

“We’ll definitely consider it, or otherwise go to Leopardstown at Christmas.”

GORDON Elliott attacked this weekend with plenty of ammunition and very nearly had another monster afternoon. He emerged with three winners on day one and, in the races he didn’t win, he was responsible for three seconds.

The finish to the Grade 3 Bar One Racing For Auction Novice Hurdle would have made for pleasant viewing for the Cullentra team, who supplied the one-two with What’s Up Darling, ridden by Sam Ewing, fighting on tenaciously to get the better of shorter-priced stablemate Dee Capo (5/4 favourite) under Jack Kennedy.

It was a strange race to watch when it came to the runner-up, who at one point looked like dropping away from the field completely before picking up the bit again and throwing down a serious challenge in the straight.

He failed by just a neck from the Gigginstown-owned winner, who was sent off at 15/8 and showed a terrific attitude.

Elliott said: “What’s Up Darling is a quick horse. He probably got racing a bit early but still won. Dee Capo ran a serious race too. Jack said he tried to hang off the track on the far side. He probably gave away a lot of lengths.”

Stellar prospect

Gigginstown enjoyed a double on the afternoon, having earlier seen the well-backed Stellar Story stay on powerfully to win in the Kilberry Pub & Kitchen Maiden Hurdle in the hands of Kennedy.

The dual bumper winner, sent off the 4/7 favourite, had beaten the talented Ile Atlantique in a bumper at Naas last February.

Elliott said: “He’s a nice horse. Jack said he’d come on from it too as he had a bit of a blow. We’re delighted with today. He was bought to be a big staying chaser.”

There was also sustained market support for Kennedy and Elliott’s other winner on the card, Fortunedefortunata (11/1 to 10/3 favourite) in the two-mile Hotel Park St. Johann In Tirol Austria Handicap Hurdle.

It was a largely smooth success for the Breakaway’s Syndicate-owned six-year-old, who proved well handicapped off his rating of 119.

“He’s owned by lads I went to school with so it’s great to win with him here,” said Elliott.

“We didn’t give a fortune for him and today was the plan, thankfully it worked out. He loves really heavy ground.”

Vega off the mark on chasing bow

ARGUABLY the most intriguing contest of the day was a non-graded event in name only, with four-time Grade 1 winner Facile Vega making a winning debut over fences in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase.

The Willie Mullins-trained winner’s jumping wasn’t spectacular throughout but he certainly is not short of scope for chasing and this was the sort of display from which a fair deal of improvement can be expected.

Inthepocket, winner of the Grade 1 Top Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree when last seen, was ridden more conservatively than the Hammer and Trowel Syndicate-owned 8/15 favourite and shaped with promise in second under Rachael Blackmore.

Winning rider Paul Townend said: “He galloped into the first - he just wasn’t really concentrating - and it was a messy race to ride in with Jack Kennedy’s horse [Saint Felicien] going left. We would have liked to have a bit more company or to follow one.

“He popped away grand and when we started racing down the straight I loved what he did at the second last; he stood off it and landed a big distance on the far side of it. He was clever at the last and his class kicked in down the straight.

Well behaved

“All of ours are coming on for a run. To win, doing that, I thought was good. Throughout the race he was actually very well behaved, for him. He’s matured physically and mentally.”

Ladbrokes cut Facile Vega to 3/1 (from 4/1) for the Sporting Life Arkle at Cheltenham.

The concluding Bar One Racing “Guaranteed Overnight Prices” Bumper saw multiple youngsters with big reputations do battle and it was the Gavin Cromwell-trained Springt De La Mare who held on to deny a staying-on My Trump Card in a gripping finish.

The Alymer Stud-owned 5/2 shot scored by a head under Declan Lavery on his first start since a winning point-to-point debut for Harley Dunne.

Stable representative Garvan Donnelly said: “He’ll come on a lot for this as he was underdone. He’s been doing everything right, he’s a chaser in the making - you can see that from the size of him. He’s a really special horse, I’d say, and hopefully he goes on to bigger things.”

Harty delight

Harvard Guy, who had caught the eye when runner-up to Cheltenham November Meeting winner Buddy One in a Fairyhouse maiden hurdle last January, got off the mark over hurdles with a likeable display in the Lisadell Equine Hospital Handicap Hurdle for Eddie and Patrick Harty.

Ridden by Mark Walsh in the colours of J.P. McManus, the 7/1 shot kept on well to get the better of unexposed novice Ask Anything.

Eddie Harty said: “I’m delighted to be back on the scoresheet for J.P. Hopefully at some stage down the line he’ll make a chaser, he has the physique for it. I think this is Patrick’s first time on the board for J.P. since being on the licence, so it’s important for him as well.”